Friday, July 5, 2013

SC Refuses to Change HC Order for Cell Tower Removal

SC Refuses to Change HC
Order for Cell Tower Removal

The Supreme Court today
refused to interfere with a Rajasthan High Court order to the state government
to remove mobile phone towers, suspected to be potential health hazards due to
radiation from them, from near the schools, hospitals and densely populated
localities.

"For the time being remove those towers from private and government
schools. The order which benefits (the school children)... We will not
interfere with it," said a bench of justices H L Dattu and C K Prasad.

It said such mobile towers have to be removed for the time being and perhaps
the Centre too was looking into the matter since 2010 and a final decision has
to be taken.

Appearing for the Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI), senior
advocate Mukul Rohatgi said there was no evidence to show harmful effects on
human being because of radiation from mobile phone towers.

He added there was no scientific report till date to show that radiation from
tower is harmful to human beings.

When the bench wanted to know the stand of the Rajasthan government, he said
the government did not file any affidavit even when the matter was in the high
court.

He said if the radiation from towers was causing health hazards for people in
Jaipur, the same should be for the entire country.

Realising that the bench was not inclined to entertain the COAI's appeal,
Rohatgi preferred to withdraw the petition.

The high court had passed the order on a PIL after going through the report of
a committee which had reportedly recommended removal of the towers from the
above mentioned areas.